Posted 12 June 2009

PSPgo – Your Questions Answered

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Hi everyone. My name’s Adam and I am the European Product Manager for PSPgo. Thanks to all who answered the call earlier this week and submitted questions, we have literally had hundreds! It is great to see that there is so much interest in PSPgo. I will try to answer as many as I can but any questions not answered in this post will be answered in forthcoming updates. I will provide you with as much detail as I can.

xeeki: Are there any technological improvements over the PSP-3000? Like, the screen, or hardware-wise…

Xeeki has asked about detail on the technological improvements of PSPgo over other models. The 2 biggest differences are the removal of the UMD drive and the new design. PSPgo replaces the UMD drive with 16GB of flash memory and the stylish slide open design has made the PSPgo smaller and lighter than ever making it truly pocket-size.

We have also added 3 new features:

Game sleep function: You will be able to operate the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) while suspending the gameplay temporarily.

Bluetooth function: This is going to let you use your favourite wireless head phones to listen to music, play games and watch videos….

Clock and calendar application: We have included a clock and calendar application which can be viewed both when the sliding panel is open and closed.

Nemhome:Will the PSPgo be delivered with a USB cable?

I am happy to say that the answer is yes. PSPgo will come bundled with everything you need for you to start enjoying all it has to offer. Included in the box along with the PSPgo will be a USB cable, AC adaptor and Media Go software.

PSPgo comes bundled with Media Go, which is an easy to use PC application that makes it simple for you to browse PlayStation Store, as well as organise and store all your favourite downloaded games, demos, music, movies and photos.

We know that being able to effectively store, organise and access your content is key so we have created a video to help explain how you can make the most of PSPgo. Check it out.

disc:What is the battery life like?

We have adopted an embedded battery to realise a smaller and lighter PSP system. The battery life is equivalent with the current models meaning approximately 3 to 6 hours for gameplays and approximately 3 to 5 hours for playing back videos. Hope that answers your question disc.

KSPRAYDAD has been asking about peripherals so here is an update:The peripherals on offer at launch for PSPgo are USB cable, AC adaptor, Video-out cables (AV cable and component AV cable) and a Cradle. We are currently considering introducing other peripherals for PSPgo but can not provide details at this point.

Another big question was if the current peripherals can be used with PSPgo. We have reduced the size of the USB connector and introduced multi-function features which has allowed us to obtain a smaller and lighter PSP. As such the peripherals for the current PSP models do not currently work on PSPgo however we are considering introducing a special attachment that can connect current peripherals to PSPgo.

Can I download games on to a memory stick?

PSPgo is disc free with a 16GB of built-in memory for storing all your essential games, videos, photos and music. However if you do fill this up there are a couple of options to store and manage your games, music, videos and photos. You will be able to back up to a PC via Media Go or to the M2 Memory Stick to store more content for PSPgo.

Torence:Why have you changed the format of the removable memory?

Torence has asked the above question and it is a good one. PSPgo uses M2 memory sticks which are smaller and take up less room on the device. This meant that we saved space and could make the PSPgo pocket-sized. However, you will be able to transfer the data from your Memory Stick Duo to your PC via Media Go and then transfer it to the PSPgo or M2.

theTMO / pavianexodus:Will it be possible to transfer my UMD games to the new PSPgo?

We know that there are many of you excited about PSPgo but are hesitant at leaving your UMD games collection behind. We recognize this and as such we are planning a goodwill programme and will unveil more details soon.

We also know that there are many already released UMD games that you may not own but want to play in the future on your PSPgo. To make this happen we are considering every possibility to bring downloadable versions for the majority of past titles available only in UMD to the PlayStation Store along with all new releases. We will announce further details on this.

How much will PSPgo cost?

Many of you have asked about the price of PSPgo throughout Europe and the PAL territories and we announced at E3 that PSPgo will retail in Europe at 249 Euros. Many of you have asked more specifically what price this will mean in your local currency. Unfortunately at this stage we are unable to define prices in countries where the Euro is not present at this time but I can assure you that as soon as these prices have been agreed upon I will let you know.

Will the price differ between the UMD version and the downloadable version?

I know this is something that is a concern for you. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer for you on this at the moment. I can however assure you that I will share this information with you as soon as I get it.

I hope I have managed to answer some of the most burning questions! Feedback is always welcome and we do appreciate all the comments and questions. I will be posting regularly to update you on the latest information on PSPgo.

Hi pabloamigo. We have many great games coming out around the launch of PSPgo including LittleBIGPlanet, MotorStorm Arctic Edge, Invizimals, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and for this first time Gran Turismo will be available on your PSP!

“we cant be bothered so we’ll post an old video” did anyone else get this feeling. and i still dont see how the price is justified it costs more than a 360 (arcade unit) with a gold subscription TBH i’ll pass on this until sony gets the point. you charge less for fewer features not more.

You know… a good question would be if you can have multiple users on the PSP like you can on the PS3. What if I bought something with a one PSN account and I wanted to use a new account in the future but keep using my games as well as new purchased games from the new PSN account. Would that be possible?

TBH i’d rather spend my money on the new iPHONE, unless Sony opens up and allows user developed app’s the PSP is still laying dead in the water, the Homebrew scene may be accused of killing the PSP via piracy etc but there is a lot of untapped talent there that could be used to Sonys advantage. Shame they don’t want to know.

Dear Sony, thank you for once again repeating your promo-talk and avoiding to give serious answers to any “sensitive” questions posted. If and when you ever really want to communicate with your customers (past, present and future), we all look forward to hearing from you. Until then, let’s all just sit back, enjoy the sunshine and totally ignore this sales pitch… and see what gives in October.

Since my above comment is going to get moderated ill remove the swearing.

Skirted around all the important questions like where is our video store, where are our PSN cards, and your price is a flipping joke, this console is cheaper to make than a 3000 but retails at almost double the price, you ought to be ASHAMED.

What i want to know is will there be any mac software to use with the psp is media go compatible with macs. Not everybody has a pc and like me i have a mac. Will there be a mac version of this software.

Although I would like one, what’s the point?As I read an article yesterday that highlighted how pointless this new PSP was, you’re making all old UMD into digital downloads…so I buy a few large memory sticks and use my current PSP and I still get to keep UMD.Sure this is a new iteration and I’d really like Bluetooth, but at the price it’s being pitched at, it’s just no where near worth it.

As a potential customer i’d like to voice my thoughts. If i buy a PSP i see two options.

1. Either i buy a PSP-3000 for about £130 new, pickup a handful of cheap or 2nd hand UMD games to play and then sell them on when i’m bored with them. Also having the chance to download games if they are cheaper than UMD.

2. Spend £250 on a PSP Go and then download games at full price without the ability to sell them on when i’m bored with them.

Looking at it from a first year perspective with option 1 i could save money initially and spend less overall in games significantly.

Sure the PSP Go looks nicer, but seriously the price tag of £250 for what i see as a “dumbed down” version is pretty insane.

I love my iPod Touch and I can download free stuff and I just like the easy interface with the iPod Touch and the automatic syc feature to backup all applications via iTunes. To be honest I don’t like the PSP and even though I do own a PSP-2000 I haven’t used it in a decade. My friends LOVE the iPod Touch and they always want to borrow it at school! Sorry PSP is not worth it and especially at that price.

To drop the UMD has been IMVHO opinion the most stupid thing. I love the new PSP Go design, but I want to be able to borrow some titles from my friends as well. And then.. 250 euro w/o the UMD drive? it looks a little too pricey to me.

I was wondering why the psp go cost so much more in the EU territory then the Americas? That to me is a big slap in the face – why do we have to pay more for the EXACT SA<E product when people across the world get it cheaper. If the pspgo was cheaper then i would have no quarrels but 250 euros is a complete no go for me – i could buy an Xbox 360 arcade for less than that!

My rant is over – i love how you have improved the psp, it is amazing but i think if it were a tad cheaper then i think many more people would buy one.